Dog behaviourist Cesar Millan is combating the global issue of canine abandonment and giving “unadoptable” dogs a second chance at life in his new Nat Geo WILD series Cesar Millan’s Leader of the Pack. The series premieres on April 17, 2013 at 10 p.m. HK/SG.
Following the success of his long-running series Dog Whisperer, Millan’s new show takes him to the beautiful country of Spain, where each week he transfers extreme canine cases to his new Dog Psychology Centre in Miraflores, just outside of Madrid. In each episode, three candidates from either the UK, Italy or the Netherlands compete for the chance to adopt one special pup, with their dog skills put to the test in a series of special Cesar Millan canine challenges. Meanwhile, Millan employs his “exercise, discipline and affection” method to overcome hurdles with dogs that are particularly skittish or aggressive to painstakingly rehabilitate each one and prepare them for adoption.
“Dog Whisperer had a passion, but Leader of the Pack has a mission,” says Millan. “Now I am combining my passion with my lifelong mission to prevent the deaths of so many innocent dogs. My goal with this show is to awaken the world to how many dogs are euthanised in one year, how we kill them and how the world really treats what we call man’s best friend. By recognising what is really happening around the world, we can save the lives of millions of dogs by respecting their love.”
To raise awareness about rescuing, rehabilitation and re-homing, Millan will go through a journey to show the difficult situation of rescued dogs and to demonstrate that it is not about the breed, age, size or the back story of the dog; it is about the human who handles the dog. The selection of the candidates is based on research on their backgrounds, homes, hobbies and lifestyles. Once at the centre in Spain, Millan evaluates each potential adoptee through a series of assessments designed to gauge their canine compatibility — and identify any red flags — before choosing the dog’s best match. The new “leader of the pack” will take the rehabilitated dog home to be safely introduced as the newest member of the family.
